


A Late Summer Day

by gettingaphdinlarry



Series: To Give You a Hand to Hold: Doc and Monster [3]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: AU, Best Friends, Choose Your Own Character, Fanart, Friends to Lovers, I promise, Larry fanart, M/M, POV Alternating, POV Combined, POV First Person, Poetry, because I don't really tell you which one is talking, but are too afraid to say it, even though it's first person, that liminal space between friends and lovers, this is not a self insert fic, typecast fic, when you realize what you want, yes I really own a typewriter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-15 22:51:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7242001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gettingaphdinlarry/pseuds/gettingaphdinlarry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On a late summer day, Louis and Harry realize they are in that liminal space between friends and lovers.</p>
<p>::<br/><em>Today</em></p>
<p>I realized<br/>you are home.</p>
<p>I almost told you<br/>I love you.<br/>::</p>
<p>Based on a post @myownspark sent me, where it's raining and you have all the time in the world to spend together. Featuring art by @twopoppies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Late Summer Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [myownspark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/myownspark/gifts).



> For [myownspark](http://myownsparknow.tumblr.com/), because you deserve it, my friend.
> 
> A million thanks to [awriterwrites](http://a-writerwrites.tumblr.com/) for betaing this. Thank you, thank you! The amazing artwork is by [twopoppies](http://twopoppies.tumblr.com/). Absolutely gorgeous! I love what you did--just perfect! Here is the [post](http://affectionatesuggestion.tumblr.com/post/144574289733/concept-the-sound-of-rain-against-a-window-drifts) that inspired this fic.
> 
> This is a stand alone fic, but can also be read as a companion piece to _To Give You a Hand to Hold._

_Today_

I realized  
you are home.

I almost told you  
I love you.

Was it when you stomped  
around the house,  
toothpaste foaming,  
grumbling about the latitude  
and the sun and the time  
that it woke you up?

I almost did when you cranked  
the radio on the way to the lake,  
throwing out your arm,  
hitting me on the chest  
during the choruses--  
Sing! Sing...or I’ll stop the car.

Was it when you rolled up  
your pants legs and waded into the water,  
pushing us off, sand scraping metal,  
laughing at the chill  
and the minnows that bit your toes?

I almost did when you taught  
me how to paddle--Switch, switch,  
reverse--until  
we fell into a silent rhythm,  
slicing smoothly through the deep.

Was it when you pulled  
that surprise picnic out of your bag,  
my favorite sandwich, a Granny Smith, and a cookie,  
while we drifted in our little canoe,  
just the loons, the quiet and us?

I almost did when you rubbed  
sunscreen on my shoulders,  
murmuring about my sun-pink cheeks  
as the bugs skimmed across the still water  
and the heat rose up.

Was it when you tipped  
your head back and  
closed your eyes,  
in the muggy air and said--Listen,  
the cattails and frogs and fish have  
created their own symphony, hear it?

I almost did when you dozed  
in the passenger seat,  
as we bumped over empty roads,  
and you missed the clouds that  
blotted out the sun and  
softened the shadows on your face.

Was it when you threw  
spaghetti against the wall--  
See, it sticks, it’s ready--your eyes  
gleaming, leaving me to clean up,  
not wanting to erase the  
starchy mark you left behind?

I almost did when you scooped  
too much ice cream and crumbled frozen  
Thin Mints over it,  
giving me the biggest bowl--  
Out of mint chocolate chip,  
but this should work.

Was it when you brought  
our books, the newspaper,  
and the quilt my grandmother made--  
It’s chilly, now that it’s raining--  
out to the couch, rolling your neck  
back and forth?

I almost did when you leaned  
against the other arm,  
facing me,  
smoothing the worn cotton  
over our legs,  
tucking it tightly around us.

Was it when you sighed,  
pressed your open book to your chest  
and pushed your feet under my thighs,  
scooting down--Just getting  
comfortable--lower on the couch?

I almost did when you shoved  
your cold toes under my bottom,  
as you gazed past my shoulder,  
watching the rain  
sheeting on the windows.

Was it when you smiled  
against the soft grey light,  
cleared your  
throat--Nice day,  
today was--  
and tucked your chin  
to your chest to nap?

I almost did when you read  
‘Garfield’ and ‘Peanuts’ out loud to me,  
and then our horoscopes--You  
will find something new  
in unexpected places, it says--  
the storm drumming against the roof,  
joining your voice in an evening lullaby.

I love you,  
I almost told you--

You are home,  
I realized--

_tonight._

**Author's Note:**

> Typecast blogging is an unusual form of blogging where people blog with typewriters. I found a typewriter better suited than HTML to give me the look and feel I wanted for this, especially with the alternating and then joined POV. Having said that, I have included the fic-poem in an HTML form as well for readability and accessibility reasons.
> 
> Come and say hi on [Tumblr](http://gettingaphdinlarry.tumblr.com/). I love to talk to people! 
> 
> Look! A [rebloggable art post](http://gettingaphdinlarry.tumblr.com/post/147028151681/a-late-summer-day-505-words).


End file.
